The novel *Water Margin* doesn't begin with a description of heroes, but rather with a plague. In the spring of the third year of the Jiayou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1058), a plague swept through the capital city of Luoyang, and urgent reports from various prefectures flooded the imperial court. Emperor Renzong initially followed precedent by granting a general amnesty, reducing taxes, and sending people to temples to perform rituals. H…
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The novel *Water Margin* doesn't begin with a description of heroes, but rather with a plague. In the spring of the third year of the Jiayou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1058), a plague swept through the capital city of Luoyang, and urgent reports from various prefectures flooded the imperial court. Emperor Renzong initially followed precedent by granting a general amnesty, reducing taxes, and sending people to temples to perform rituals. H…